The University of Oxford has been named a winner at the 2025 Working Dads Employer Awards, which took place at the Houses of Parliament on Thursday, 17 July. The University was recognised for implementing the Oxford Additional Parent/Partner Leave (OUAPPL) scheme, which offers up to 12 weeks’ paid leave to eligible staff who are partners or secondary carers.
The scheme was one of the recommendations from the University’s Pay & Conditions programme, which is a series of measures aimed at creating a pay and conditions framework that is firmly rooted in the University’s pursuit of excellence. Offering this additional paid leave reflects a progressive approach to supporting new parents, ensuring that employees can fully embrace this life-changing moment with fewer financial or professional concerns.
The Equal Parenting Project and Music Football Fatherhood co-founded the Working Dads Employer Awards in 2022. Each year, entries are assessed by experts from organisations including CIPD, CBI, Business in the Community, and Working Families. The awards recognise policies, cultures and leadership that support working fathers and drive broader progress towards workplace equality.
Oxford was the first University to win one of these awards, with the OUAPPL placing the university in a small but growing number of organisations leading the way in this area.
